Community Column: The Healing Power of Nature
NeighbourWoods North has transformed the Owen Sound hospital grounds with 6,000 trees, gardens, and trails—bringing nature’s healing power to patients, staff, and visitors.
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION
“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”
~Henry David Thoreau
It was only 8 years ago that the 28-acre grounds of our Owen Sound hospital were largely void of tree cover, and the building appeared as an intimidating hilltop fortress for any approaching patient or visitor. It was a contradiction for any institution dedicated to healing and recovery.
Since then, through the work of Owen Sound’s volunteer organization, NeighbourWoods North, approximately 6,000 trees and shrubs have been planted along with 2 km of pathways, gardens and benches.
It is no secret that spending time outdoors, or simply viewing nature from a patient’s window, aids both mental and physical healing. The mental and emotional benefits of reducing stress can be physiologically explained through the lowering of stress hormones, heart rate and blood pressure.
Furthermore, it benefits one’s mental health by decreasing anxiety, reducing feelings of isolation, and lifting one's mood. In fact, research has shown that it can boost empathy and cooperation, as well as improve concentration, which is especially helpful for children with ADHD.
Having opportunities to interact in a natural setting can also promote our physical health by enhancing muscle and heart strength, as well as balance and coordination. One of the most fascinating recent discoveries is the role that nature plays in improving the function of our immune systems. This excellent article in The Guardian explains how we, as humans, are walking ecosystems of microbes, both inside and outside our bodies.
Microbes play numerous positive roles, including helping us fight diseases. Exposure to greater biodiversity improves health, which is another reason to avoid planting limited species, especially monoculture plantations.
At NeighbourWoods North, this has always been their mantra, and they are proud to have planted over 100 native species.
It is no wonder that some healthcare professionals are now prescribing “time spent in nature” as part of the recovery process. A common recommendation is at least 2 hours per week, broken into 20-minute or longer sessions. Coincidentally, we have recently seen many hospital staff, patients and visitors starting to use the pathways and benefiting from the nearby forest hospital trails.
Beyond our hospital, we in Owen Sound are so fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful natural geography and water. Opportunities to find balance and spiritual healing are right on our doorsteps if we just take regular advantage of them.
So, be your own doctor, and prescribe yourself a dose of nature’s healing, leaving your phone behind to fully benefit from the experience. Walk, paddle or sit beneath the greenery and focus on the soothing sights and sounds. As Thoreau suggests, you too will return taller than the trees.
by Lloyd Lewis for NeighbourWoods North
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